Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

kellz wrote:...i know when i got my licence, my dad rides, brother rides, grandfather rides, mum pillions, so i thought saying i wanna ride would be easy.. wrong, dad put down all these conditions for me.. i had to pillion with him so many times and go through bike maintenance and slow speed control with him, then have my unrestricted car licence ( waited till i was 20 ) then do my L's and then ride with him for first few weeks till he was confident i could handle the bike in all conditions.. he even made me ride in the rain as he said i cant controll teh weather and one day ill be out and it will just rain on me.. now he is confident in my riding and doesnt stress to much...

[Busily taking notes for when my daughter wants to get her bike licence]

Mick C wrote:

kellz wrote:...i know when i got my licence, my dad rides, brother rides, grandfather rides, mum pillions, so i thought saying i wanna ride would be easy.. wrong, dad put down all these conditions for me.. i had to pillion with him so many times and go through bike maintenance and slow speed control with him, then have my unrestricted car licence ( waited till i was 20 ) then do my L's and then ride with him for first few weeks till he was confident i could handle the bike in all conditions.. he even made me ride in the rain as he said i cant controll teh weather and one day ill be out and it will just rain on me.. now he is confident in my riding and doesnt stress to much...

[Busily taking notes for when my daughter wants to get her bike licence]

i thank him every day for being as vigilant as he was.. some of my mates saw it as controlling i saw it as caring. as i know how hard it would fo been on him if i had of had an accident and he didnt do what he did.. that just my family tho.. each family is different..

i also reckon waiting till i had road sense with the car and was aware of the number of dickheads on the road i proberbly wouldnt be here typing this today..

he took me and bought me my own gear first. we had the bike already and we live near netball courts so the carpark became our saturday hang out once i got my licence..

My Father rides so Dad knew it was inevitable I was gunna *say* (I was 25 so I didn't ask, I told him) I was getting a bike and my licence... Although at first he was hesitant I explained that I wanted a ZZR250 to start with and started looking at them.... He came around once he realised he could go bike shopping with me....

Although Dad did lay down the law still - I had to do a 3 day course first... Then we got the ZZR250 and I had to go riding with him for a few months each weekend, then onto the Advance Riding Course....

It makes me smile though remembering pulling up along side Dad (on his Harley) at his local 'riding too places' and he would proudly annouce to everyone that I was his daughter and it was my first bike....

THEN I got the new bike.... He hated it and didn't want to know a thing about it for a whole of about a week... ... Or until I went riding with him to show him that I could handle it.... The he started proudly annoucing I was his daughter and that I rode a ZX7R

But each new step I take on the bike, Dad is terrified of and tries to talk me out of it... I guess it is a natural thing - his only daughter on a BIG bike is scary....

When I told him I wanted to take it to the Drags he was shaking at the thought of me doing those speeds... By half way through the night he was pissed I was beating his times... So now its a game between us... He has a picture of me on the drag strip with my time slip framed now and shows everyone that comes over...

Each time I show him my ability to handle my bike and to not push myself gives him a little more confidence in me on the bike....

Next step is QR (He has already rung me about this - the thought is giving him sleepless nights....) But I know he will come to watch and I know he will be clapping loudly and proudly announcing to everyone around him "Thats My Daughter Out There"

Ask him about my Brothers on their bikes and he will proudly tell you they are a bunch of crazed lunatics...

i just decided after riding my mates dirt bike that i wanted to try bikes for a change, i was always a car head so never thought i would want a bike.

Anyway i sat down with my mum and pointed out hte benfits like cheaper fuel, fun, convicence, cheaper/free parking etc etc and she thought it was a great idea. Mum has never ridden but knew people that have and she said she was on bikes and realised that i was taking the sensible approach to bikes and not jsut buying one to be a hoon, but buying it for other reasons.

My dad on the other hand would never encourage me to get a bike and when i had the bike/s he always told me to sell them and get a car which was safe.
Now cause i never told my dad i was buying it and living at mums i could hide the bike and had to for as long as possible, when one day i just rocked up when we had an outtign with my dad on the bike and he was a bit stunned but thats ok cause ultimately it was my choice and he knew that!

so maybe try that with your parents, tell them why u want a bike and tell them the benefits of riding, cause most parents just think kids just take silly risks and want to do stuff to get a thrill, now no doubt riding is a thrill, but if u try to shy away from the danger aspect and talk about the benefits they might accept it more.

then again if that fails, wait till your 18/have a decent job/have your own place and buy one anyway if u still want one and tell them its your choice! inwhich case they will probably still cut sick, but u won't havt to live with it so much all the time!

u won't look back to cars!!

When i wanted a bike my mother said not while you are living here So i went and bought one and then moved out

at the end of the day your parents will take u in regardless they just wnt to see you safe!

Saki wrote:at the end of the day your parents will take u in regardless they just wnt to see you safe!

thats it...and as long as you respect them and explain to thema dn keep them informed i dont see a problem..

Saki wrote:at the end of the day your parents will take u in regardless they just wnt to see you safe!

if they care for u so much that they dont want u riding, then i doubt they will throw u out of home!!

imagine how much more they will worry if they dont kno where u live AND u have bike....

maybe u need to get assosciated with other riders (psb ?? DAZZZZZZAAAAA!!!)

one of the things we do over here is take in the youngens ( L and P platers) and teach them how to live past 30 as a rider... too many young dicks wipe themselves out cos they do think....

also spending a yr or 2 in a car learning roadcraft is a great idea!!

Thanks for the ideas fellas.

Rossi wrote:What worked for me a long long time ago was to sit my mum down and explain that I would be far safer being in control of my own bike than I would be sitting on the pillion of someone who would be trying to show off !

Worked for me

that sounds pretty good to me. if you don't let me do this then i will do that. lol.
yeah i will probably sit them down again and mention that i need an experienced rider watching me to start off with, and i am not getting into it for the fun but more the convenience aspects.

Neka79 wrote:

Saki wrote:at the end of the day your parents will take u in regardless they just wnt to see you safe!

if they care for u so much that they dont want u riding, then i doubt they will throw u out of home!!

crossed fingers for that working if it comes to that.

thanks everyone.

Damn there's some good ideas/stories up there. My uncle used to race BSA's, nortons Flattrack & died in his sleep at 35. That sorta took the wind out of my Dads, "I'll put a rag in the petrol tank & burn any bike you buy" attitude pretty much.

Pontikat wrote: That sorta took the wind out of my Dads, "I'll put a rag in the petrol tank & burn any bike you buy"

I remember my dad saying that in the emergency department after my 2nd BIG stack ( 9 months in Hospital and 11 months in rehab)..........then when I could walk properly he gave me a lift to the bike shop to pick up my new toy
Good owd lad me old man was

i went and got my L's. had already bought the bike and had it stashed at my g/f's place at the time...

and just rode it home one day

that said i was 20 at the time so not much the olds could do about it .. but it didnt turn out so bad, best waiting til your 18 to avoid the grief if u want to do it this way lol

Rossi wrote:Good owd lad me old man was

ahh dads.... arent they great!!

my mum wasnt so keen on the bike...but i lived with dad... and i only had $1000 to put towards the bike (it was $2000) ...so dad spotted me the other $1k ..prob only did it to piss mum off??

then again when i wanted my 1st tat...dad slipped me $50 just in case ....


i miss my dad ..he was a great bloke...

The famous brain surgeon Dr Tio rides a bike. Just do it they will get use to it eventually and just go and do all the advanced riding courses.

aus636 wrote:The famous brain surgeon Dr Tio rides a bike. Just do it they will get use to it eventually and just go and do all the advanced riding courses.

a 929 blade at that!!

yea...ppl from all walks of life ride...